5 Omar Rabbi Elosor/ Amar Rabbi Elazar (R. Elazar said) Text: The Talmud, end of Tractate Berachot. Music: Joseph (Yossele) Rosenblatt (1882-1933) The text is recited or chanted as a conclusion of a Talmudic study session. R. Elazar confirms that the students of Torah bring peace to the world. The text quotes verses from Isaiah and the Psalms that praise Gods gift of peace and it ends with the words: «God will bless his people Israel with peace.» Cantor Rosenblatt, one of the most famous Singers of the Golden Age of the Cantorate in the early 20th-century, was well known not only for his phenomenal voice, but also for his synagogue compositions, which were sung by many cantors and Singers in Europe and the USA. In this piece he utilizes the chants for studying the Talmud and creates a glorious composition out of them. Sissu wssimchu / Sisu vesimchu (Rejoice and be glad on the feast of the Torah) Text: Anonymous Medieval poem Music: Hirsch Weintraub (1811-1881), Arr.: Werner Sander (Alto, choir and piano) This is one of the most beloved poems for the ceremonies of the Simchat-Torah holiday. It is customary to sing it during the procession of the Torah scrolls, or after reading the Torah portions of the day. The poem encourages the congregation to rejoice in the Law and to honor it, because it is our strength and our light and it is dear to us above all precious things. The poem describes how envious the angels were of Moses when he ascended on high to receive the Law. It then describes how all the patriarchs of Israel rejoiced in the giving of the Law to Moses and it ends exclaiming that the Children of Israel should be happy that they received Gods gift during their wandering in the desert. Hirsch Weintraub was born in the town of Dubno in the precinct of Wohlin (now part of the Ukraine). He continued in the footsteps of his illustrious father, Shlomoh Kashtan, one of the greatest cantors during the beginning of the 19th Century. Weintraub studied music in Berlin, he served for many years as Chief Cantor of Königsberg and became famous all over Europe for his innovative synagogue music. Weintraubs jolly melody was arranged by Werner Sander, the first conductor of the Leipziger Synagogalchor. Ez chajim / Etz chayim (The Torah is a tree of life) Text: Proverbs 4:2, 3:17-18, Lamentations 5:21 Music: Samuel Naumbourg (1815-1880) Choir and piano The verse from the Book of Proverb describes the Torah as a tree of life; its ways are pleasant and its paths are peaceful. The verse from the Book of Lamentations calls unto God to return the Jews to their former glory. The verses are sung while the Torah scroll is returned to the Holy Ark after the customary reading from the Law on Sabbath and Holy Days. Samuel Naumbourg was born in Dennelohe, Bavaria, in 1845 he became Chief Cantor and Music Director of the Great Synagogue of Paris. Some of his music was influenced by the grand-opera style of his day as it was reflected in the work of his dear friends Meyerbeer and Halevy. But in this piece one can feel the traditional cantorial style that he absorbed as a choir-boy in the synagogue of Munich. Taurass adaunoj / Torat Adonai (The Law of the Lord is perfect) Text: Psalm 19:8-10 Music: Louis Lewandowski (1821-1894) Baritone, choir and piano In the modern synagogues of 19th-century Germany it was customary that the rabbi delivered a long and erudite sermon in the German language betöre the Musaf additional Service on Sabbaths and Holy Days. After the sermon, the choir would sing these verses from Ps. 19 that glorify the teachings of the Torah. Lewandowski's piece was to be sung at this moment on the important